Improvement in curd-cutters



A. & E. H. 'sEDeWIcIL CURB-CUTTER.

N,17o',4o5, Puga Nov. ze', 1875.

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NAPETERS. PHOTD-LDTHOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON. D CV A; NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALONZO sEDGwioK AND EDwiN H. s'EDewloK, OE PO'UGHKEEPSIE, AssIeNOEs TO THEMsELvEs, RODNEY s. WHITMAN, WALTER w. WE1TMAN, AND DAvrD E. BURRELL, OE LITTLE EALLs, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN CURD-CUTTERS.

Specication forming part of Letters Patent No. 170,405, datedNovember 23, 1875 application liled August 23, 1R75.

To all whom it may concern: l

Be it known that we, ALONZO SEDGWIGK and EDwiN H. SEDGWIOK, of Poughkeepsie, in the county of Dutchess and State of New York, have invented a new and useful lmprovement in Cmd-Knives; and that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, making a part of this specication.

This invention 1s in the nature of an improvement in curd-knives for cheese-making; and the invention consists in a series of knives secured to a metallic head in the manner hereinafter described; and also in combining, with the knives proper, one or lnore transverse knives, in the manner herein described.

In the accompanying sheet of drawings, Figure l is a longitudinal section of our curdknife, taken in line Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a plan or top view of same partly in section, and Fig. 3 a cross-section in line y y, Fig. 2.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts in the several gures.

In cheesemaking, as isgwell-known, it becomes necessary at certain times to cut or slice the curds, and to do this a series of knives, to which is affixed a handle, is employed. These knives are arranged parallel to each other, in either longitudinal or latitudinal rows, and they have heretofore been affixed at their upper ends to a wooden block, to which the handle for manipulating it has been secured, and their lower ends conned in position by a wire. The wooden founda! tion or support is found to be objectionable, because of its tendency to na-bsorb and swell with moisture, and the knives are apt to work loose from it; and the wire-fastening for the lower end of the knives not being sharpened oppose the passage of the vknives through the curds to some extent, and it is quite liable to break.

Io obviate these diflculties we form the foundation or head A of our knives of one or lnore plates of metal, a b. These plates are punctured with a series of slots, c. The upper ends of the knives B, to which the plates are to be fitted, have their edges cut down to the thickness of the plates a and b, leaving, however, a small tongue, e, projecting, so that when the plates are placed in position, one on the upper, and the other on the lower, edge, the tongue e will enter into the slots c, in which position they are secured by solder, or riveting the tongues e into the slots c, or by securing the plates a b together by means of bolts or rivets, or any other desirable method may be employed for securing the plate or plates together, holding the knives tightly fastened to the plates. Either one or both ofthe plates has a lug, f, or shank extending beyond the plate, and to this lug is secured, in any desirable way, the handle G. The lower ends of the knives B are fastened to atransverse knife, g. This knife has formed in it slots similar to the slots c in the plates a and b, into which are received tongues h, formed on the ends of the knives B, these tongues being secured to the slots by solder or otherwise. In this manner the upper and lower ends of the knives are securely tixed in place.

When the knives are arranged in rows lon gitudinally, they, when being used, are apt to bend into curves of dierent radii, these curves oiierin g considerable resistance to the'passage of the knife through the curds, and therefore increasing the labor of using them, and separating the component parts of the curd (the Whey and the milk) to the detriment of the making of the cheese.

To remedy this difficulty I secure to the knives B, and at right angles, one or more transverse knives, D. These transverse knives are secured to the others by forming slots@ through the other knives, and passing the transverse knives through the slots, within which they are soldered, or otherwise fastened, these knives D acting as braces as well as knives, tending to stiften the other knives, and keep them rigidly in position.

From the foregoing description of the construction of our curd-knives, it is obvious that not only are they more firmly held in position, but they are lighter and more easily kept clean from impurities than are the knives with the wooden foundation or head.

`'lhe handle of these knives may be made i from wood, but preferably'from metal.

Having now described the construction and operation of our aural-knives, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-` 1. As anew article of manufacture, a curdcutter, constructed ot a series of' parallel blades sharpened on both of their edges, and with transverse blades sharpened in like manner, combined with one or more metallic headplates, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. In a cmd-cutter, a series of double-edged knives constructed with lugs, combined with slots formed in Vone or more metallic headplates, substantially as aud for the purpose described.

` 3. In a card-cutter, formed of a series of parallel double-edged knives, one or more double-edged transverse knives, secured thereto, substantially as and for the purpose described. i

ALONZO SEDGWIGK. EDWIN H. SEDGWICK. Witnesses:

JOHN HACKETT, R. BAKER. 

